Patana Page-Turners

Welcome to your monthly round up of reading recommendations. This month’s theme…LOVE!

1. What is one of your fondest or most favourite reading memories?

In the US, we had a programme in the 90s called BookIt that encouraged elementary-aged students to read regularly. You took a little quiz in school to prove that you’ve read a book and after you met your reading goal, you were eligible for a FREE personal pizza from Pizza Hut. Maybe it was the bribery of the free pizza and maybe it was the escape from my life in a small, rural town to the faraway places and interesting people that I was reading about, but BookIt made me a life-long reader and I still read almost every day for at least an hour - but no free pizza anymore!

2. Based on autobiographies you have read, which real life person would you like to have diner with and why?

I’m a huge fan of non-fiction, biographies and autobiographies. I don’t read much fiction because I like to put down a book and feel like I’ve learned a new fact or interesting story about the past. I would love to have dinner with Michelle Obama, especially after reading Becoming, where she mentions a poignant interaction with her high school university counsellor. Mrs Obama was told she wasn’t a fit for Princeton (!!) and that she should apply elsewhere. Spoiler alert: she attended Princeton and while she encountered numerous hurdles due to her race and middle-class background as a student at an Ivy League university which are notoriously difficult for students, she excelled and the rest of her life is history! Obviously, this story had a huge impact on me and my work. I’m constantly reminded to encourage students to reach for their university aspirations while ensuring they have solid alternatives, just in case.

3. What does love mean to you? Do you have any book suggestions for this theme?

Love is caring for, protecting, supporting and encouraging someone else, in good times and in bad. Love isn’t always easy but love always wins. Love can be “the warm and fuzzy” feelings and love can be personal growth as you become part of a partnership and live your life a little less selfishly. I’m currently in the “warm and fuzzy” stage since I just got married in December! I’m going to break my own rule and include some fiction in my recommendations:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gil

The Husband Hunters: American Heiresses Who Married Into the British Aristocracy by Anne De Courcy

Love Letters of the Great War by Mandy Kirkby

Until We Meet Again: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Holocaust by Michael Korenblit

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Kerry Meaden-Kendrick, Leader of Learning and Welfare, Year 1 Teacher

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst. This book provides a lovely framework for talking to children about love and feeling connected. It explores the idea that we can feel love, even when people are far away.

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson. Based on a true story, this book is about two penguins who fall in love but cannot lay an egg like the other penguins in the zoo. Their zookeeper sees their love and decides to help them make a family.

Love You Forever by Robert Muncsh. A beautiful book celebrating love and the sense of loss as a child grows up. It has a rhythmic refrain throughout that you can put to your own beat or tune when reading aloud.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Charlotte’s Web by EB White. A young girl called Fern wakes up one day to find that her dad is going to kill a small pig (a runt) that was just born the night before. Fern decides to save the poor young pig. Raising the pig called Wilber she soon was forced to send it to her uncle’s farm. She finds amazing discoveries about her pig and his friend, a spider called Charlotte. The love bond between Fern Wilber, Charlotte and other animals is eternal. It’s a wonderful book all tied in with love, adventure and friendship. Read all about the amazing journey with Fern, Charlotte and Wilber.

Yada (Emily) Roeksiriphong, 7N

Sisters by Raina Telegemeier. This book is about a girl called Raina, who had always wished to have a sister. Everything changes for Raina as soon as she gets a sister and she realises that life with a sibling is nothing like she had imagined. This book is about love within families as Raina and her sister Amara don’t get along at all at first and are quite polar opposites, but as they face challenges together they eventually have to learn to live together and get along. They soon realise that they are all that each other have.

Varissa Asavathiratham, 7N

Wonder by RJ Palacio. This book is about a child named August (Auggie) Pullman who was born with a facial deformity. He goes through many ups and downs on his journey through school and friendship. He finds the people who matter and the people he loves. We also get to view his world from many different perspectives through important characters in his life. This book, which was also turned into a movie nominated for an Oscar, is one of my favourite books of all time. I think this book is a heartwarming representation of love for family, love for friends, but most importantly: love for yourself.

Pimnara (Prim) Asawapiwat, 7S

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. A fantasy novel about a cruel king that also features two “paper girls” who fall in love and promise each other that one day they will find happiness and freedom.

Nanthicha (Amy) Jirachotchuwong, 7S

Loveless by Alice Oseman. This book is is really good because it shows that not everyone needs to have a romantic partner. It also shows that it is okay to want to be alone and what aro-ace, an often overlooked part of the identity spectrum, really means.

Mr Danny Nason

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. All four volumes of this graphic novel series tell the heartwarming story of Charlie and Nick’s high school romance. The art style is simple but the characters are brilliantly realised.

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. This book is a unique and powerful novel that explores the intricacies of love, identity and sexuality in 1950’s Paris. The central love story between the American protagonist, David and the Italian bartender, Giovanni is one of the most unconventional and groundbreaking depictions of same-sex love in American literature. Baldwin’s representation of these two men’s relationship is raw, emotional, and deeply personal, portrayed as a journey of self-discovery and a search for meaning in a world that often denies the validity of their love. Baldwin masterfully navigates the complexities of love and identity, showing how the two are so often bound by fear and guilt, making the novel an essential read for anyone interested in LGBTQ+ literature and the tenderness of the human condition.

Kitchen by Banana Yashimoto. This is a short yet deeply moving novel that explores themes of love and friendship in the wake of tragedy. The book follows the life of Mikage, a young Japanese woman who finds solace in the comfort of the kitchen, following the death of her last remaining relative. Throughout the novel, Mikage forms close bonds with the people around her, including her enigmatic classmate Yuichi and his transgender mother Eriko, who help her navigate her grief and find new purpose in life. Yoshimoto’s writing style is heavily influenced by Japanese shojo manga, characterized by its portrayal of both male and female characters as complex and introspective, as the novel celebrates the power of love and human connection.

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabelle Allende. This is a sweeping tale of love and survival, set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. The novel follows the journey of Victor and Roser, two refugees who flee Spain and eventually find themselves in Chile. Despite being bound together by a sense of familial duty and obligation at first, the two characters develop an unconventional yet beautiful love affair that spans decades. It evolves into a deep and meaningful connection as the they come to rely on each other for support and companionship during times of immense hardship. The result is a beautifully crafted story of love, loyalty, and resilience that will stay with readers long after the last page.

Curious if we have any of these books available in our libraries? Search online here, or contact our library staff here

Andrew Haughton, Careers and University Counsellor

WhenI was 17 years old, I told my Dad I wanted to study French and Geography at university. I shall never forget the look of confusion on his face. He was a production engineer, my grandfather a chemical engineer and my older brother, an automotive engineer. The Haughton’s’ were meant to be engineers! Sadly, Maths and Physics were not my forte, but I knew the word engineer sounded like the French ‘ingénieur’ which came from the Latin ‘ingenaire’, meaning, ‘people who make ingenious contraptions’.

Nine years earlier, my dad and I were stood on a London underground platform. As we waited for our tube, he told me how the first electric trains were really slow at accelerating and then slow at braking (he was an engineer after all). This meant they used up lots of electricity getting moving and quickly wore down their breaks stopping at stations. Later, the engineers who designed London’s deep Tube lines resolved this problem by making the platforms slightly higher than the rest of the line, meaning trains climbed a short incline as they approached the station and could also use the downhill gradient to help accelerate as they pulled away. They used science, logic and creative thinking to solve a problem. I nodded politely at my dad’s story, but I was more fascinated by the colourful lines that made up the underground poster which I would later learn in my Geography degree, was a topological map.

Many Bangkok Patana students enjoy Maths and Science, so it comes as no surprise that some go on to study a Bachelor’s in Engineering. It is important to note that lots of higher education institutions offer a BEng, but they can differ greatly in their focus and approach. Let’s take the US as an example.

Liberal Arts colleges tend to have a smaller student body and offer four-year programmes which generally focus on the undergraduate experience and emphasise a well-rounded approach to learning. Students are often expected to study a core curriculum, so as well as taking classes relating to engineering such as calculus and physics, they may also study a foreign language, history, philosophy and the arts. It may be that students only start to explore their engineering major in their third year, so it could be described as a two-year engineering degree. Consider the 3-2 Engineering Programme which is a five- year dual degree programme with the student leaving with two degrees. Students complete three years at a liberal arts college before their final two years at a partnering university. For example, study at Occidental (CA) and, if you fulfil the requirements, study at Engineering at California Institute of Technology or Columbia University for your final two years.

Research universities are institutions that are active in research and publishing, with large student populations. As with Liberal Arts Colleges, students are likely to follow a core curriculum, but being so big, the choice of majors, minors and concentrations is considerably greater. Exploratory engineering could be an option for students interested in careers with an engineering degree but who have not yet decided in which area they want to specialize in. At Michigan State University for example, students can gain an overview of the 11 engineering programmes offered and how it prepares them to be competitive in the global marketplace. They deep dive into their engineering major in their third year. Moreover, undergraduates can gain research experience through research programmes and independent study opportunities.

Institutes of Technology are ideal for those students who are passionate about Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Students will be surrounded by like-minded STEM students and can deep dive into their major from Day 1 and be exposed to cutting edge technologies and smart classrooms that are designed for hands on, interactive problem solving rather than traditional lectures. They are encouraged to apply their theoretical learning by participating in competitions, projects, and challenges sponsored by national STEM-related organisations and through internships making them very attractive to prospective employees. Let’s not dismiss the importance of the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences though. William Barton Rogers, MIT’s founding president, once wrote that “the abstract studies…of the philosopher are often the most beneficent sources of practical discovery and improvement.” See MIT’s HASS requirement for more details.

The next time you’re at the BTS station, take a moment to appreciate the tracks that bring trains in and out. It’s pure and simple engineering genius.

Thisweek we have been very fortunate to host Jim Knight in partnership with Chapters International. Jim, who hails from Canada originally, works for the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning and is also a prolific author. Jim is widely regarded as the pre-eminent expert in the field of Instructional Coaching. This is a communication and leadership tool we use as a school to frame great conversations and help our teachers shape their own teaching goals based on the needs of their students. Jim’s five-day Institute attracted visitors from as far afield as Japan, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India and of course all over South East Asia. Several of our teachers were lucky enough to attend the workshop, here are some of their reflections:

“The Intensive Instructional Coaching conference with Jim Knight has been a highly energising experience. This practical workshop offered lots of opportunities on how to explore effective coaching through better conversations where the focus is on developing quality listen and responding with deep and meaningful questions. Jim has shown us that by applying the “partnership principles” where you collaborate with a colleague to set PEERS goals, (powerful, easy, emotionally compelling, reachable and student focused) following the Impact Cycle, we are able to have a huge impact on how we develop the learning across the school for all our children and teachers. A brilliant training event delivered by Jim Knight – an expert in this field of educational pedagogy and learning.”

“Spending time listening to and working with Jim Knight has truly been life-affirming. I feel like I’m going to come out of these five days a significantly better conversationalist in all areas of my life (though I’ll let my friends, family and colleagues be the judge of that), not just through the professional coaching conversations I’m having.”

“The brilliant Jim Knight recently visited Bangkok Patana School to deliver a course on instructional coaching, which I attended as an assistant principal. The course was engaging and provided huge insight into instructional coaching, which will help support our teachers in the continuous improvement of their practice. I am particularly excited about the potential of instructional coaching to have a significant impact on the professional growth of our teachers in Secondary school. By creating a culture of coaching within the school community, I know we can support teachers to continuously improve their teaching practices, leading to a more engaging and effective learning experience for our students. I am looking forward to exploring the implementation of instructional coaching further with my colleagues in the coming weeks, months and years.”